If you expect to be trust with a budget for a film (short or otherwise), you need to be in control of your finances.

Starving artists: Listen up! Here is all you need to remember when it comes to personal finance.

Grow Your Income, Not Your Lifestyle

Please read closely: Earning more money won't make a bit of difference if you don't save it or apply it to paying off your debt. Many people fall into the trap of "the more you make, the more you spend." It's a vicious cycle that will keep you living from paycheck to paycheck regardless of how high your salary is. The bottom line is that you've got to grow your income, but not your lifestyle if you want to make financial progress.